Five High School Football Games to Watch This Week

By Scott Bernarde

Here are five Georgia High School Association games involving Walton County schools Friday night that might spark your interest. Kickoffs begin at 7:30 p.m.

1. Oconee County at Monroe Area: The home opener for Matt Fligg's Purple Hurricanes could be a repeat of last year's 62-14 win at Oconee, which is 0-2. Monroe Area is looking every bit the part of the No. 6 team in Class AAAA. Last week, Kwan Brooks scored four touchdowns in a win over Winder-Barrow.

2. Holy Innocents' at George Walton Academy: The GWA Bulldogs are looking to bounce back after an overtime loss to Aquinas last week in a matchup of state-ranked teams in Class A. See GWA running back 
Stanley Williams, one of the best ball-carriers in the state, regardless of classification. Holy Innocents' is 2-1. GWA is 1-1.

3. Parkview at Grayson: In a surprising development, these two playoff teams from a year ago are both 0-2. Grayson will be looking to avoid an 0-3 start, plus get a little payback on Parkview, which beat Grayson last year when the Rams were ranked No. 1 in the nation on some polls.

4. Clarke Central at Loganville: The Athens powerhouse comes to Loganville in a Region 8-AAAAA opener for both schools. The Gladiators and the hometown Red Devils know each other well. Both teams are 1-1.

5. Walnut Grove at Howard: These teams combined for a 1-19 record last season, with the only win a Walnut Grove victory over Howard. Howard is 2-0 after two straight winless seasons; Walnut Grove is 0-2.